Feeding mechanism



A ril 12 1927.

( p c. L; POST FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Juau 1 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jwven 01. Claude L. E5 f w/zfwf/zz April 12, 1927. 1,623,976

- c. POST FEEDING MECHANISM Filed June 1 1925' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Chag l- 1 M ferred embodiment of Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES CLAUDE L. POST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FEEDING MECHANISM.

Application filed June 18, 1925. Serial No. 38,034.

My invention relates particularly to mechanisms for feeding envelopes, cards, sheets and the like to printing mechanisms but is limited to such use only in so far as defined in the appended claims.

The invention has among its objects the production of feeding mechanism of the kind described .which is simple, reliable, compact, eflicient and satisfactory for use wherever found applicable. A particular object of the invention is to provide improved mechanism which will advance envelopes to a printing position with the flap portions of the envelopes extended with respect to the body portions thereof. Another object of the invention is to provide improved mechanism of the kind described which will so treat the envelope that the flap portions thereof will not tend tocurl or fold during the feeding operation. Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section taken through a printing machine having feeding mechanism embodying the novel features of my invention; I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken substantially on the same line as Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings in which a premy invention is shown, I have shown a printing machine which is particularly adapted to print return addresses and the like upon envelopes, but which may be employed to print any desired information upon cards or sheets of paper. I have not shown the entire printing machine as the major portion thereof is more fully described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 741,428, filed October 3, 1924. The particular machine shown comprises a main frame portion 1, a printing roll 2 and a platen or impression roll 3, the rolls being driven from a drive shaft 4, which is, in turn, driven by any suitable means (not shown). The envelopes or other articles to be printed are placed in a hopper or magazine 5 located at one end of the machine. The envelopes are withdrawn one at a time from the magazine 5 and after being printed are discharged at the oppositeend of the machine.

I have shown my improved feeding mechanism for advancing the envelopes from the magazine 5 to the printing roll 2 and the impression roll 8. The means for dischargingthe envelopes from the magazine 5 is fully described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,481,557 dated Jan. 22, 1924 and comprises feed rolls 15 and 16 rotatably journaled in the frame 1, the feed roll 15 being driven by means'including a sprocket chain 15*. A flap engaging finger 14 mounted below the magazine is adapted toextend the flap portions of the envelopes forwardly. The flap engaging finger is adapted to engage the body portion of the lowermost envelope in the magazine behind the flap portion thereof and then swing the flap in advance of the body portion in such manner that the flap may be engaged by the feed rolls 15 and 16. It is advantageous to bring the flap portions into extended positions before the envelopes are brought to the printing position as the printing roll 2 will then print clear impressions upon the envelopes.

My improved feeding mechanism is arranged between the printing roll 2 and the feed rolls 15 and 16 and preferably com-. prises a frame 69-70 or the equivalent carried upon the main frame 1. The frame 69-70 is preferably removably mounted on the frame 1, my feeding mechanism being substantially a separate unit which may be adjusted to feed in a predetermined manner for a particular job. As shown, the frame is provided with recesses 72 and the frame 6970 is provided with lugs 71 arranged to seat in the recesses 72. One end of the frame carries a shaft 73 which seats in open bearings (not shown) in the frame 1 and is driven in any suitable manner and by any suitable means (not shown); The shaft 73 carries a plurality of sprockets 75 over which are arranged sprocket chains 76, these chains being arranged over sprockets 77 mounted on a shaft 73 disposed at the other end of the frame 69-70. The chains are provided with work-engaging members 7 8 adapted to engage and advance the envelopes to the printing position.

The frame 6970 is provided with a chain support 82 and carries guides 85 and 86 between which the envelopes, cards or sheets are advanced. Arranged on the shaft 73 are feeding wheels 87 which receive the articles tobe printed from the feed rolls 15 and 16 when the machine is in operation and advance the articles in positions wherein they may be engaged by the members 78.

Ordinarily, the weight of the envelopes, cards or sheets of paper is not suflicient to cause them to be advanced when they rest upon the feeding; wheels 87., To maintain the envelopes, cards or sheets of paper in feeding engagement with the wheels 87 I preferably provide a roll 88 mounted upon a shaft 89 which is journaled in bifurcated brackets 90, the brackets being designed to permit vertical meven'ient of the roll 88 during the feeding operation so that it may adjust itself to press the envelopes against the wheels 87 In my aforementioned co-pending application vSerial No. 741,428, filed October 3, 1924, I have shown a roll which functions similarly to the roll 88 of this application but in said co-pending application the similar'roll is substantially cylindrical in form.

In some instances, I have found that as the envelopes pass beneath said similar roll and are advanced by the work-engaging members 78 the extended flaps of the envelopes tend to curl, fold or crumple and prevent the printing roll 2 from printing clear impressions upon the envelopes. In the present disclosure I have shown the roll 88 provided with an annular flange or bead 88 adapted to flex or bend the envelope as it passes beneath the roll 88. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2, the envelopes are preferably fed through the mechanism, face upwards, with the gummed side of the flaps facing downward. The adhesive on the flaps tends to curl them and the envelopes become crumplet. In the operation of my improved feeding mechanism-the bead 88 flexes or bends the flaps and body portions slightly but sufficiently to prevent the flaps from curling. Then, when the envelopes are engaged by the work-en gaging members 78, the flaps remain extended until the envelopes pass through the printing mechanism proper, the flaps being then folded into place upon the body portions of the envelopes by means comprising an arm 93 which forms part of mechanism also clearly shown and described in my copending application, Serial No. 741,428.

The words flex or bend are not employed in the sense that a fold or scoredline is made in the articles to be printed but rather in the sense the the central portion of the article extending transversely thereof is concaved sufficiently to overcome any tendency of the article to curl or fold. The articles are not marred in any manner and the described treatment thereof does not detract from their appearance.

Havingthus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as liiniting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mcntionedr What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the kind described, a magazine for holding a supply of envelopes, means for extending the'flaps of the envelopes forwardly, means engageable with the extended flaps forpulling the envelopes from the magazine, means adaptedto receive the flaps from said pulling means and to advance them, and means for flexing the envelopes as they enter said advancing means.

2. In apparatus of the kind described, a magazine for holding a supply of envelopes, means for extending the flaps of the envelopes forwardly, means engageable with said envelopes for pulling the envelopes from the magazine, means adapted to receive the envelopes from said pulling means and to advance them, said last mentioned means including toothed wheels and a single mem her for holding said envelopes in engage: ment with said wheels and for flexing the envelopes to prevent crumpling thereof;

In. testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

CLAUDE L, rosr. 

